This piece speaks mainly to women, though men can benefit as well. When I start working with a female athlete or client, one recurring goal is to be able to perform a certain number of push-ups or pull-ups. Fortunately, at our facility most people know what they’re signing up for when they walk in. For example, we have a treadmill that’s basically used as a coat rack. People know that at Cressey Performance they’re there to train. We rarely, if ever, have women come in just to “tone up,” and the name Tracy Anderson is often linked with extremes. Even if someone arrives believing that women shouldn’t lift weights—whether from an uninformed trainer or from magazines—we try to show that strength training is beneficial.
Even though many women want defined arms, shoulders, and legs, I try to show them that the effort and dedication needed to eventually do one push-up or one chin-up—by using regression variations and moves like squats, deadlifts, rows, and presses—will help them reach their goals faster than lighter workouts with pink dumbbells and a Thigh Master. The mindset matters: instead of thinking “tank-top arms” or “I need to lose ten pounds by spring,” I aim to get them to adopt performance-based goals like “I want to deadlift my bodyweight for multiple reps” or “I want to be able to perform an actual push-up or chin-up.” That shift changes everything. It’s amazing what happens to their attitude and body when they buy into this.
Just the other day I was joking with a fourteen-year-old athlete who has trained with us since she was twelve. We were probably arguing about why she hasn’t watched Star Wars or debating a celebrity, anyway I told her, “Maddie, I bet you can walk over to that bar right now and bang out a chin-up.” She looked at me like I was crazy. After a bit of encouragement she went to the bar and did not one, but three chin-ups—she had more in the tank. A proud moment.
That leads to today’s topic: what’s the best way to increase the total number you can do? For many, getting to one push-up or chin-up seems impossible. Let’s assume you’re stuck in the 1–5 rep range. It isn’t a secret system with a strict periodized plan. You don’t need fancy equipment, and you can still eat gluten. It’s called doing more push-ups and chin-ups—that idea people call “greasing the groove.”
Here’s the basic approach with push-ups: if you can do four solid push-ups and can’t surpass that, cut your target in half to two. Every 1–2 hours, do two push-ups, at home or at work, wherever you can. You may even squeeze them in while waiting in line or in an elevator. The point is to focus on quality rather than burning out. By the end of the day you’ll have done 12–24 extra push-ups; by the end of the week, 84–168. By the end of the month, you can do the math. That’s a lot of push-ups, and they’ll be quality repetitions.
For a single chin-up, which is a significant achievement, you can apply the same idea more carefully. You want to stay fresh for each rep, so aiming for every 1–3 hours is ideal, though not everyone has access to a pull-up bar at work. Even if you have to do one every hour at home, that works too. Do the math and you’ll add roughly 6–10 extra quality chin-ups per day.
To summarize: if you want to increase your total push-ups and chin-ups, take your current max and divide it in half. Then, every 1–2 hours, perform that many reps. If that number is one, do one every 2–3 hours. You’ll rack up a lot more quality reps than you thought possible. If you’d like more guidance, consider joining my Premium Workout Group on WeightTraining.com, where I share this kind of programming and tips monthly. For more info, you can click the link. Enjoy your weekend!
